Vacuum valve



M. KADEKER 3,165,386

VACUUM VALVE Filed Feb. 12, 1963 Jan. `12, 1965 4e" TJ. ci. E: ,Il y ////////////////////////y n4 2o zo 44 42 Il] 1(2) v /////////7///////// 14 g r//l/// 'f/ /41 ,/f/ l// 5 l@ --44 Z7. 'L

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1 N VEN TOR. MAn/v Kaps/ 5@ Bbw " The purpose of freeze This invention relates to the field of freeze drying, and air or gas evacuation, and has for its principal object the creation of a'valve bymeans of which the vmaterial to be dried, or the object,-such as a radio tube or other instrument, to be evacuated, is connectedto the drying or evacuating apparatus in such a manner as to alloy substantially unrestricted operation of the process and, upon its completion, removal of the container holding the dried,

'matter, or of the tube, and replacement upon the apparatus of a new container or tube, without breaking or materially affecting the temperature or vacuum within the apparatus.

drying is to preserve organic materials which are heat-sensitive and labile by dehydrating this material without affecting its cellular integrity or effecting a physical or chemical change during the process, soithat when the material is required for use the addition of the removed amount of water or liquid will'reyUnited States Patent -F store it fully to its originalcondition. This is done by sub l liming the vapors of the frozen liquid or water content by creating a low temperature (approx. 60 F.), and high vacuum, and drawing off the frozen liquid with a high-powered vacuum pump. ln this way lorganic ma- :"terials,;s uchas milk, bloodrurine, tissue, meat, fish and the like, have water removed with little orY no heat applied and with little or no cellular, physical or chemical change.

They can be thus preserved for long periods of time, in some cases indefinitely, in such a state. The subsequent addition of the removed Lwater restores the material to its original state when its use is desired. The creation of vacuumtubes by evacuation of air and gas requires no explanation.

Present types of freeze dryers-for example, include manifolds with a plurality of ports (from one to several still attached to other ports of the system will be'spoiled.

Exposure of the contents of the removed container will, in some instances, cause damage to the contents.

The present method for attachment of, let us say, flasks to the ports of a freeze dryer involves the. use of a rubber tube secured around each port and closed o by a plug. To attach the flask the operator manually pinches olf the tube with a pair of pliers, removes the plug, attaches the flask and then releases the tube. This method is far from satisfactory since the tube must, of necessity, be of a heavy rubber which may not be closed off completely; continued application of the pinching recess damages and destroys the rubber tube in short order; and the desired results of sustaining the low temperature and high vacuum in the freeze dryer and material are not always obtained.

Likewise, in present methods of using evacuating apparatus for the creation of vacuum tubes it often happensat oneend 14 and open at the Vother end 16.

lhdh' Patented Jan. l2, 1965 ice it is therefore the principal object of my invention to create a valve for'use in connection with freeze dryers and evacuators which permits attachment and removal of flasks, tubes and the like to such apparati without breaking lor disturbing the vacuum within the system..

A.r second importantobject of my invention lies in the provision of a vacuum valve for freeze dryers and evacuators which permits operation of the respective apparati with little or no restriction. v

A third important object of my invention lies in the provision of a vacuum valve which is simple to operate and which can .be produced'at a low cost.

A fourth important object of` my invention lies in the provision of a vacuum valve by which the vacuum can be broken slowly and gently when desired, soy as not t0 affect the material involved.

A fifth important object of my invention lies in the provision of a vacuum valve for attachment vto the ports of a freeze dryer by which llasksof dehydrated material inertgas while the flask is 'still attached to the valve.

These and other salientobjects, advantages and functional features ofmy invention, together with the novel features of construction, composition and' arrangement of parts, will be more readily apparent from an examination of the following descriptionQtaken with the accompanying drawings, wherein: y,

lFIG.l l is afront view ofva freeze dryer, to the ports of which preferred embodiments of my invention are attached; v

FG. 2 is an enlarged side perspective of one of the embodiments shown in FlG. l, showing also the flask and, partly broken away, the port of the freeze dryer Vto which it was attached;

ing dehydrated;

FIG. 4 is a View similar` to ElG. 3, but showing the valve in closed position onthe dryer port;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectionof a modified embodiment of my invention; and

FG..6.is an enlarged vertical cross-section of another modification of my invention.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the different views.

Illustrative of the. embodiment shown by FIGS.14, my vacum valve lil comprises a hollow tube 12, closed Integral with the tubek 12 is a second hollow tube 18 which opens into the tube l2 intermediateits body portion as shown,

' and provided open' at its other end Ztl. The'tubel may be at an inclined angle to the planeof the tube l2, as shown, or may be at right angles thereto, if desired. The vacuum valvelil is preferably composed of a heavy, resilient rubbenbutother suitable material, such as plastic, may be used in place thereof. As shown in FIG. l, vacuum valves lli are secured around the ports 22 of a freeze dryer manifold 2li. The freeze dryer 26 comprises, as is well known in the art and therefore not further detailed herein since it forms no part of the invention, the usual housing 23 containing a refrigeration unit, a condenser and a high-powered vacuum pump 30, in open engagement with the manifold 24, and all interrelated-as is well known in the art, and activated by the usual motor means.

lof dehydrating organic material, 46, and obvious modifications thereof, are equally effective in use with evacuating apparatus used to evacuate air and- 'valve 10 by inserting its neck 36 through the open end 2t) of the tube 1S. The tube 12 is then moved and partially withdrawn fromthe respective port 22, as shown qin FIG. 5, so that there is a direct opening from the port 22Vinto the flask 34,'the tube 12 meanwhile retaining a frictionally tight engagement with the outer wall of the port 22 to prevent entry of air. In this position the water vapor created from the frozen liquid portion Vof the organic material is sublimated and drawn otf into the manifold, and from there into the condenser where it freezes to the walls thereof, the remaining gas being removed by action of the pump 30. The process continues until the organic matter 38 in the ask 34 is adequately dehydrated, at which point the valve is pushed back into full engagement with the port 22, as shown in FIG. 4, effective ly resealing the vacuum within the manifold 24 andV per- Ymitting thefremoval of the ask 34 containing the now dehydrated organic material 38. The flask 34 can now vbe sealed, or filled with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, vand stored until needed. Upon removal of the ask 34 A' valve 10 for each port 22, a flask or tube of organic material to be dehydrated can be secured to each valve lil independently, removed independently when dehydration yis completed, and replaced with another without marterially disturbing the flasks secured to the remaining ports 22, Vor affecting their contents, and without break# ing or otherwise disturbingk the vacuum seal of the manifold 24 which is vital to its `eciency.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a vacuum valve 40 which is i l a-modied embodiment'of valve l0. Valve 40 is pro' vided with the same structure as valve it) but, in addition,

there is provided a third hollow tube 42 integral with,` and opening into, tube 18 intermediate its end Ztl and its juncture with tube 12. With valve 40 the flask 34 to bek vdehydrated is inserted into the tube 18 so that its neck Vclears Vthe opening 44 in the tube 42, and the inert gas ills the ask 34, which is then removed, sealedand stored.`

In FIG. 6 there is showna valve 46 which is a modified embodiment of valve 40. In this embodimentthe valve 46 is provided with a pluralityv of combinations of tubes 18 and 42, in the manner shown, so that more than one flask 34 may be dehydrated through the same port 22 at the same time.

In the description thus fardisclosure has been made the application of the various valves It), 4i) and -46, and in connection with use upon a freeze dryer for the purpose The valves it), 4d and n gases from tubes, such as television and radio tubes, electric light bulbs, and similar objects. In the manner previously described, with respect to the operation of a valve v undesirable.

neck into the tube 13 of the valve 10, and the valve 16 moved upon the port to open the port to the valve'l@ and the tube to be evacuated. Upon completion of the evacuation process the valve lil is moved back upon the port to seal the vacuum within the evacuator. The neck of the tube which has been evacuated is then closed and sealed, by heat or other suitable means, and the tube Withdrawn. YThe severed neck portion of the evacuated tube is then removed from within the valve 10, `and Vthe valve 10 is then ready for the next tube to be evacuated. As is apparent, with use of valves 46 and 46, means to close off the neck of the vacuum tube, while within the valve 40 or 46,- may be introduced through the tube 44 of the respective valve.

As is also well apparent from the foregoing drawings and description, my inventionrmayrlserve other functions as well, in connection withfvacuum apparatus. For example, a vacuum may be broken slowly and gently by the slow removal ofa Valve fil, 40er 46 from closed positions upon ports, where a sudden break in the vacuum is Other beneficial uses may occur to those skilled in the art. f f

The embodiments thusjshown and described, therefore, are by way of illustrationand not of limitation, and variall of which are claimed herein.

Having described my invention, I claim: *Y Y l. In association with a freeze dryer and a ask of the types described, a vacuumvalve formed of a resilient material comprising f a first tube provided open at one end and closed at its other end, adapted to be slidably'mounted upon and in air-tight engagement with a port of lthe freeze dryer, and a second tube integral vwith vthe rst tube at a point intermediate thel ends of the irst tube and extending therefrom at an angle thereto, the second tube opening into the first tube at their point of union and provided vopen at its free end to receive the neck of the ask in air-tight engagement therewith, The valve material being suiiiciently rigid to withstand collapse under vacuum suction and suiciently exible to permit Vthe engagements hereinabove described. 2. A vacuum valve as described in claim 1,`the resilient material being rubber.

3. In association with a freezedryer and iiasks of the types described, a vacuum valve formed of a resilient ma- -terial and comprising Y a first tube provided open at one` end and closed at its other end, yadapted to be slidably mounted upon and in air-tight engagement with a port ofthe freeze dryer, tube means integral with the first tube intermediate its ends Vand extending therefrom at an angle thereto, said tube meansV opening into vthe first tube at their unions and provided open at the free ends thereof to f receive the necks of iiasks inairatight yengagement therewith, Y

the valve material being sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse under vacuum suctionand sufficiently flexible to permit the engagements hereinabove described. 4. In association with an evacuator, and a'tube tobe evacuated, of the types described, a vacuum valve formed of a resilient material 'comprising a tirst tube provided open at one end and closed at its other end, adapted to be slidably mounted upon and in air-tight engagement with a port of the evacuator, and a second tube integral `with the rst tube at a point intermediateV the ends of the rst tube and extending therefrom at an angle thereto,

ous changes may be made in the construction, composi-.V' tion and arrangement of parts Withoutlimitationupon or departure from thespirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of the'advantages thereof inherent therein,

the second tube opening into the first tube at their point of union and provided open at its free end to receive the neck of the tube to be evacuated in air-tight engagement therewith,

the valve material being sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse under vacuum suction and sufficiently ilexible to permit the engagements hereinabove described.

5. In association with a freeze dryer and a flask of the types described, a vacuum valve formed of a resilient material comprising a first tube provided open at one end and closed at its other end, adapted to be slidably mounted upon and in air-tight engagement with a port of the freeze dryer,

a second tube integral with the lirst tube at a point intermediate the ends of the first tube and extending therefrom at an angle thereto,

the second tube opening into the irst tube at their point'of union and provided open at its free end to receive the neck of the ilask in air-tight engagement therewith, and

a third tube integral with the second tube at a point intermediate the ends of the second tube and extending therefrom at an angle thereto,

the third tube opening into the second tube at their point of union and provided open at its free end,

the opening of the third tube into the second tube being so positioned as to be blocked by the full insertion of the flask neck into the second tube and cleared by the partial withdrawal of the flask neck from thel n second tube,

the valve materialbeing sufficiently rigid to withstand collapse under vacuum suction and sufficiently iiexible to permit the engagements hereinabove described. 6. A vacuum valve-as described in claim 5, the resilient material being rubber.

the valve material being sui-iiciently rigid to withstand collapse under vacuum suction and suliciently flexible to permit the engagements hereinabove described.

8. In association with a freeze dryer and asks of the types described, a vacuum valve formed of a resilient material comprising a irst tube provided open at one end and closed 'at its other end, adapted to be slidably mounted upon and in air-tight engagement With a port of the freeze dryer,

a plurality of secondary tubes integral with the first tube at points intermediate the ends of the first tube in parallel, spaced relationship t0 each other and extending at an angle from the lirst tube,

the secondary tubes opening into the first tube at their points of union and provided open at their free ends to receive each the neck of a flask in air-tight engagement therewith, and

a third tube integral with each secondary tube intermediate the ends of said secondary tube and eXtending therefrom at an angle thereto,

each third tube opening into its respective secondary tube at their point of union and provided open at its free end,

the opening of each third tube into its respective secondary tube being so positioned as to be locked by the full insertion of the ask neck intov said'sec ondary tube and cleared by the partial withdrawal of the ask neckr from the secondary tube,

the valve material being suliiciently rigid to withstand collapse under vacuum suction and sufliciently iiexible to permit the engagements hereinabove described.

9. A vacuum valve as described in claim 7, the resilient material being rubber.

' References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,670 3/26 Lough 251-353 XR 2,097,307 10/ 37 Ruggles 141-66 XR 2,389,452 11/45 Patterson 34-5 XR 2,749,002 6./56 Perry 141-66 XR 2,893,607 7/59 Vosbikian 251-145 XR 2,925,989 2/*60 Hempel 251-145 M. CARY NELsoN,Primary` Examiner. 

1. IN ASSOCIATION WITH A FREEZE DRYER AND A FLASK OF THE TYPES DESCRIBED, A VACUUM VALVE FORMED OF A RESILIENT MATERIAL COMPRISING A FIRST TUBE PROVIDED OPEN AT ONE END AND CLOSED AT ITS OTHER END, ADAPTED TO BE SLIDABLY MOUNTED UPON AND IN AIR-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH A PORT OF THE FREEZE DRYER, AND A SECOND TUBE INTEGRAL WITH THE FIRST BUE AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF THE FIRST TUBE AND EXTENDING THEREFROM AT AN ANGEL THERETO, THE SECOND TUBE OPENING INTO THE FIRST UBE AT THEIR POINT OF UNION AND PROVIDED OPEN AT ITS FREE END TO RECEIVE THE NECK OF THE FLASK IN AIR-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, 